Pembina 1964/1980 Judgment $40M Class Action Settlement

PEMBINA JUDGMENT FUND CLASS ACTION SETTLEMENT UPDATE:

• The claim deadline has been extended to Dec. 19, 2021.

Beneficiaries of the 1964 or 1980 Pembina Judgment fund may be eligible to file a Pembina settlement claim form and receive compensation thanks to a $40 million class action settlement.

Anyone who is an original individual beneficiary of the 1964 and/or 1980 Pembina Judgment Fund, a legal representative of a Class Member, or an eligible heir to a deceased original individual beneficiary is automatically part of the Class.

A class action lawsuit had alleged the federal government failed to properly manage the Pembina funds.

The Pembina funds were the result of two legal claims brought in the Indian Claims Commission decades ago, seeking additional compensation for lands the Pembina Band of Chippewa Indians ceded to the United States.

The defendants named in the class action lawsuit — former Interior secretary David Bernhardt and former Treasury secretary Steven Mnuchin — were responsible for managing the 1964 and 1980 Pembina Judgment Funds on behalf of the fund beneficiaries.

Class Members who wish to file a Pembina settlement claim form must be one of the following:

• An original individual beneficiary of the 1964 and/or the 1980 Pembina Judgment Fund Award(s)
• The legal representative of a settlement class member, authorized under applicable federal, state, or tribal law to represent a settlement class member in matters relating to this class action lawsuit
• A first-line heir, meaning, in the absence of applicable federal, state, or tribal law to the contrary, and in the absence of a legal representative authorized to act on behalf of an original individual beneficiary, the living spouse of a deceased original individual beneficiary, or, if there is no living spouse, the oldest living child of the deceased original individual beneficiary
• A second-line heir, meaning, in those instances in which there is no known legal representative of an original individual beneficiary, and there is no first-line heir, a next-closest living heir to a deceased original individual beneficiary, as determined in accordance with applicable federal, state, or tribal law and as designated by the settlement administrator

Pembina Settlement Benefits

Class Members will receive a share of the Pembina class action settlement fund depending on which category they fall into.

Each original individual beneficiary who shared in the distribution of the 1964 award, one legal representative of a Class Member, or one eligible heir to a deceased original beneficiary will receive an estimated $50.

Each original individual beneficiary who shared in the distribution of the 1980 award as members of one of the four tribal plaintiffs, one legal representative of a settlement Class Member who shared in the 1980 distribution as a member of one of the four tribal plaintiffs, or one eligible heir to a deceased original individual beneficiary who shared in the distribution of the 1980 award as a member of one of the tribal plaintiffs will receive an estimated $1,150.

And each original individual beneficiary who shared in the distribution of the 1980 award as nonmember lineal descendants, or one legal representative of Class Member who shared in the 1980 award distribution as a nonmember lineal descendant, or one eligible heir to a deceased original individual beneficiary who shared in the distribution of the 1980 award as a nonmember lineal descendant will receive about $1,440.

Nonmember lineal descendants are those the Interior Department determined to be lineal descendants of the Pembina Band who were eligible to share in the 1964 award distribution but were not members of any of the 1964 award beneficiary tribes.

Anyone who has moved may update their address information on the Pembina class action settlement website.

A final hearing has been scheduled for June 10, 2021.

Those wishing to exclude themselves from the Class or object to the Pembina class action settlement must do so by April 29, 2021.

Pembina settlement claim form submissions must be postmarked no later than Sept. 8, 2021.

Who’s Eligible

Anyone who is an original individual beneficiary of the 1964 and/or 1980 Pembina Judgment Fund, a legal representative of a Class Member, or an eligible heir to a deceased original individual beneficiary is automatically part of the Class.

Potential Award

Up to $1,440.

• $50: Each original individual beneficiary who shared in the distribution of the 1964 award, one legal representative of a Class Member, or one eligible heir to a deceased original beneficiary will receive an estimated $50.
• $1,150: Each original individual beneficiary who shared in the distribution of the 1980 award as members of one of the four tribal plaintiffs, one legal representative of a settlement Class Member who shared in the 1980 distribution as a member of one of the four tribal plaintiffs, or one eligible heir to a deceased original individual beneficiary who shared in the distribution of the 1980 award as a member of one of the tribal plaintiffs will receive an estimated $1,150.
• $1,440: Each original individual beneficiary who shared in the distribution of the 1980 award as nonmember lineal descendants, or one legal representative of Class Member who shared in the 1980 award distribution as a nonmember lineal descendant, or one eligible heir to a deceased original individual beneficiary who shared in the distribution of the 1980 award as a nonmember lineal descendant will receive about $1,440.

Proof of Purchase

N/A

Claim Form

CLICK HERE TO FILE A CLAIM »

NOTE: If you do not qualify for this settlement do NOT file a claim.

Remember: you are submitting your claim under penalty of perjury. You are also harming other eligible Class Members by submitting a fraudulent claim. If you’re unsure if you qualify, please read the FAQ section of the Settlement Administrator’s website to ensure you meet all standards (Top Class Actions is not a Settlement Administrator). If you don’t qualify for this settlement, check out our database of other open class action settlements you may be eligible for.

Claim Form Deadline

12/19/2021

Case Name

Leslie Ann Wilkie Peltier, et al. v. Scott de la Vega, et al., Case No. 1:20-cv-03775 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia

Final Hearing

06/10/2021

Settlement Website

PembinaSettlement.com/Pembina

Claims Administrator

Pembina Settlement Administrator
c/o Class Experts Group LLC
P.O. Box 995
Mequon, WI 53092
833-999-9915
info@PembinaSettlement.com

Class Counsel

Melody L. McCoy
Kim Jerome Gottschalk
NATIVE AMERICAN RIGHTS FUND

Defense Counsel

Prerak Shah, Deputy Assistant Attorney General
Anthony P. Hoang, Evnironment and Natural Resources Division
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

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